Blackbirds, grebes, eagles, assorted ducks and a photographic calamity – bits and pieces of recent shooting forays to Farmington Bay.
The Red-winged Blackbirds are starting to sing with enthusiasm again. They’re a little early even for them if you ask me. I enjoy the good light and detail on this difficult to expose bird but I’m not happy with the composition because I don’t have enough room up top. I’m posting the image largely because of the good look at the epaulet on the right wing which at this angle shows how far it is raised off of the wing. It looks like it’s a separate piece that has been attached there, just like epaulets are in military uniforms.
Over the years many readers from warmer climates have wondered how some of our resident birds survive our winters. Even during the colder winters there are usually small patches of open water where birds congregate, feed and usually, though not always, survive. This small patch stayed open a couple of days ago because it was near a bridge where water was flowing fairly fast. It was filled almost to the brim with birds, mostly Pied-billed Grebes, American Coots and at times a splattering of various ducks.
Here’s another view from the top of the bridge a while later after a few ducks joined the congregation.
At times there were a few Redheads, Canvasbacks and other ducks among the grebes and coots. Sharp eyes may have noticed the awkward posture of the headless grebe trying to stand on ice at the top of the frame. It’s rare for grebes of any species come out of the water but that one did.
Farmington is known for its winter Bald Eagles but in the last few years they’ve been few in number and those that are there have nearly always been far out on the refuge. But recently a few of them have been on the ice quite close to the road. And of course that makes photographers, birders and wildlife lovers congregate almost as thick as the grebes in the previous photos. That area sometimes becomes packed with photographers, standing tripods and maneuvering vehicles.
I don’t join the crowd for two reasons. I’m usually there in the mornings when the eagles are backlit and I don’t want to mostly waste my time taking eagle photos that I’ll probably delete when I get home. I’d rather take my chances with other birds in better light. Sometimes I fail with them and sometimes I don’t. The other reason I don’t join in is I’m not particularly comfortable in crowds, be they photographers or anyone else. Some of those photographers are good friends of mine and I really enjoy them individually but just by my nature I’m not a social photographer. I don’t do fusterclucks well, no matter their composition.
Ok, to my point. Yesterday as I was avoiding the crowds and doing my own thing along the road about 3/4 of a mile away from the eagle congregation a subadult Bald Eagle, for the first time in a very, very long time, unexpectedly flew very close and at a perfect angle right over my pickup. I aimed my lens and fired off a very long burst as it approached and passed over my left shoulder. I just knew a bunch of those photos would be very good and many of them would be frame-filling.
But…this isn’t that eagle. This is a shot from years ago at Farmington but it looks very similar to what I saw through my viewfinder – a subadult of about the same age and plumage as yesterday’s eagle against a blue sky. But yesterday the sky was bluer, the eagle was closer and the light angle was even better so I was excited to see what I got.
THIS monstrosity is what I got, pure unadulterated crap. A couple were slightly sharper than this but most were worse. Far worse.
It turns out that AI Servo on my camera had somehow, inexplicably been turned off!. AI Servo is the feature on Canon cameras that allows autofocus to be maintained on a moving target. So I had a sharp shot the first time I focused and fired on the bird when it was 37 miles away and every shot after that got softer as the eagle approached. I didn’t notice the increasing softness through my viewfinder because of my rapidly flapping shutter.
In over a decade of shooting with Canon cameras I don’t believe this has ever happened before and of course it occurred at the worst possible time. My old friend Murphy of Murphy’s Law can kiss my royal patootie.
Ron
PS – Sorry about the bellyaching downer to end this post. Every serious photographer on the planet has had poorly timed equipment snafus so experiences like this are far from unique to me. But we do tend to take it personally when they happen to us. I have the advantage of a stress reliever called Feathered Photography where I can vent and relieve my frustration a little but most others don’t.
So if any photographers out there have a similar story feel free to tell us about it in a comment. Knowing that we’re not alone just might make some of us feel a little better, including me.
I have a bit of time to look at your photos on my computer today rather than my phone. I LOVE the red wing blackbird photo!
I always thought ol’ Murph was my own personal patron saint. 😉 (I think I’ve mentioned this before, but the Admin building at UCLA is named Murphy Hall. Coincidence? I think not!)
That last shot looks like the best of mine, so there ya have it. As always, I love your birdpourri posts. Even though the blackbird is a little tight (did you play around with adding canvas up top?), the view of those epaulets and that expressive face more than makes up for it. I also like the coot chorus line in the 3rd shot.
Nope, you gotta share ol’ Murph, Marty.
Adding realistic canvas up top would be prohibitively difficult or even impossible because of the vegetation I’d have to extend up there for it to look realistic.
“Coot chorus line”. I like that.
I am always impressed with your skill and your use of the English language specially when you use it to your advantage. I will remember your colorful comment to describe your frustration. I got a good laugh there. Sorry about the eagle picture and the stress you had to survive. Your work is nearly always great. Thanks.
Betty, I appreciate your comment about my use of language. Sometimes I really have to work at it and occasionally it just flows out – good or bad. Thank you.
Hiss and spit. I am sadly familiar with this on toooo many levels. Screw loose in the operator is my term.
Loved the red winged blackbird epaulet, and the birds crowded into the open water. My anti-social self doesn’t do crowds (any crowds) well either.
EC, I have friends who love me (the feeling is mutual) who have only semi-kiddingly told me for years that I have anti-social tendencies. I never dispute them though I don’t think the term is particularly appropriate for me. I’m just happy with my own company and don’t much like crowds. And I like quiet after 33 years in the classroom and in despicable faculty meetings.
Love it
Thanks, Nicky.
Ron,
No offense but it is nice to know that you are human! I am still looking for the right combination to get a few good flight shots. I still envy your successes which far outweigh your snafus!
Best,
Stephen
I’m too human, Stephen. If you only knew…
Oh yes it does happen. When I zoom in with my camera, I seem to get fuzzy pictures. That is really to bad when we have a once in a life time event pop up.
Trudy, it’s my understanding that zoom lenses have that tendency to some degree but it shouldn’t be very significant, at least it shouldn’t in a quality lens.
Your post did make me feel better in many ways. The woes of bird photography were all stated for me. Light, birds to far, crowds, and operators errors.
Always happy to assuage the woes of my friends, April! 🙂
I’ll start by saying this Ron, that blurry blob is light-years ahead of my camera’s ability to focus on a moving target. Until I found an obscure fix in the manual (Which I misplaced, then had to find online then download) I could barely focus on a stationary target.
My biggest failure was an attempt at a Golden-crowned kinglet, it sat perfectly still for exactly a minute (I’m sure you know how rare that is) on a perfectly lit perch where I could get portraits. Well, the camera had other plans and continuously searched until the bird left, when it then focused on the perch after all that time. Apparently, for no reason other than to reduce my camera’s ability, it changed the autofocus setting from quick (Where the dedicated AF system focuses on a subject) to “Flex-zone” AF (In which the camera’s sensor focuses). Why it switched to the worse version I couldn’t tell you, but probably the same reason your setting changed (COUGH COUGH Murphy’s Law COUGH COUGH).
Anyway, although we’re further south than you, our Red-winged blackbirds aren’t displaying yet, although they are singing in their hundreds in flocks with grackles and rusties. I guess he knew Murphy had you on his hit-list and took pity I guess. Stellar photo as usual Ron!
Ouch, that would hurt, Xavier – especially with a cooperative and patient kinglet. And I envy you your Rusty Blackbirds!
I really enjoyed the shot of the red-winged blackbird– so in that species, is the contrasting-colored “epaulet” actually also the alula ( I bet I misspelled that–the small auxiliary wing
-piece on the shoulder ) ?
Kris, No, the alula would be just below the “elbow” (which isn’t really an elbow at all). And you spelled alula correctly. Plural is alulae.
Been there, done that, “blue air” common with me in those situations. I too tend to avoid “groups” of people even if I know them and do one on one well with them. Will have to keep “fustercluks” in mind – I tend to use the other version at times which, of course, isn’t socially acceptable! 😉 Love the mix of grebes/ducks. Can certainly tell why the grebes don’t come out of the water much! REALLY not designed for land…… Cousin says there have been large flocks of Robins N of Idaho Falls in the Rexford area already – WAY early……
““blue air” common with me in those situations”
That brought a smile of recognition, Judy.
We’ve been hearing reports of robins returning to Canada already.
Nice photos (mostly)….great blog….and that thing about Murphy?…..oh so true!….Thank you Ron..especially for sharing your “OOPS” as well as your “WOWs”…
Ol’ Murph is always tagging along with me, Steve. Sometimes I think if I look behind me quickly enough I’ll get a glimpse of his smirking face.
Good morning Ron – interesting group of shots. No matter what you are doing Murphy is lurking somewhere nearby. Frame worthy shot of the Red-winged Blackbird for sure. I have never ever seen a grouping like this of Pied-billed Grebes or any Grebes for that matter. Just yesterday I took photos of a pair at our Lynx Lake. Same with all our lakes – you will see one or two and then maybe another pair three or four hundred yards away. I am with you on groups of photographers. About a month ago at our Goldwater Lake there were maybe twelve or thirteen guys and gals gathered at one spot shooting our eight eagles while I and another guy were two hundred yards away. 99% of my nature photography is done solo. To me nature and quiet are synonymous. Over the years I have met many nice people out photographing wildlife, but none like to stay and chat for more than just a few minutes. Crowds and wildlife just do not go together.
Everett Sanborn, Prescott AZ
“No matter what you are doing Murphy is lurking somewhere nearby”‘ “Crowds and wildlife just do not go together”
I couldn’t agree more with both statements, Everett.
Love your blog today, Ron!! I got several chuckles but never at your frustration with the results of your shots of the subadult eagle!! I would have been crying and stomping my feet like your Harrier did in yesterday’s blog. I so enjoyed all the Pied-bill Grebe photos. I’m lucky enough to see them at Green Cay (so many of your birds you post, I’ve never seen in the wild!) However, I never see them in the numbers you’ve captured. They are always solitary. I just love to watch them dive & wait to see where they will pop up – usually quite far from where they dove!!!
I’m glad you appreciate PB Grebes, Jo Ann. I think they should get more attention from photographers – their behaviors can be fascinating.
I laughed at your blurry eagle. It looks quite familiar, for sure. In my case, it’s sometimes because I haven’t kept the focus right on the moving bird. I love that you showed one of your lousy ones. Most really excellent photographers won’t do that. You tend to dwell on the imperfections of your near-perfect shots. It’s refreshing that you’re also willing to show you can make BIG mistakes.
I can laugh at it now but I sure couldn’t all day yesterday, Nancy.
Yes Ron, we all have been plagued by the blurred flight shot, the clipped wing, the blow out whites etc. It’s what we do and what makes shots like your red winged blackbird so valuable. If every time we pointed the camera we produced outstanding images then anyone could do it and it wouldn’t be special anymore when we get “that one shot”. Keep teaching, I learn everyday from your posts!! Thank you!!
Agreed, Garrett. But it’s particularly frustrating when it’s equipment malfunction instead of operator error. That setting somehow changed all by its lonesome.
Oh dear, Murphy certainly got you on that one! I thought I saw steam coming from Utah last night. 😀
Murphy comes out on top more often than not, Arwen.